branding blog

Responsive Branding Standards for the Mobile Web

The web has an ability to shed its skin and emerge anew every couple of years.  It should not be news to you that the future of web browsing is mobile. Mobile has already overtaken desktop browsing in parts of the world and is projected to do so in the US before the end of 2013.  The technique that most proactive studios and shops have coalesced around is ‘Responsive design’ It is a term I believe was coined by Ethan Marcotte, the author of Responsive Web Design and a leading voice on the topic.  For the uninformed it attempts to address the ever-expanding array of device sizes...More

Slow Branding – for small businesses with limited budgets

While there are many reasons that small businesses work with the wrong design partners, the most common would appear to be cost. After all, doing it yourself, off shoring the work or hiring the cheapest designer around would seem to be motivated by price. However, I have found that bargain hunting is often a symptom of a larger disease. They are in a rush, and in attempting to budget for everything at once they are willing to accept anything in terms of quality. I call it the “fast food” approach to branding. If having business cards that look like they were ordered off the dollar menu doesn’...More

Choosing the right partner to brand your small business

It is not remarkable to encounter a small business in need of a holistic refresh of their brand’s look and feel. However, it becomes noteworthy when you are informed that they have just recently invested thousands into their design, only to be disappointed by the results. There are a myriad of reasons why this occurs. At the center of them all is the fact that many small and early-stage enterprises simply don’t have any familiarity with the process and they choose the wrong partner. What should they have been aware of? Know the difference between design and branding You wouldn’t step up to...More

The New Canvas and the Old Masters

When visual communication was rendered through oil on canvas one would not have a hard time arguing that it was the oil, and not the canvas that mattered most. While a well-crafted substrate was essential it was also something to take for granted. The great masters were painters and the skill with which they applied their medium was the measure of that greatness. Today’s canvas of choice is the web. It is so powerful, dynamic and ubiquitous that it has devoured all other forms of media. Music, theater, film and even traditional art are now most commonly seen on the Internet. Often times...More

When Brand Extension isn’t the Answer: Coors and Blue Moon

Brands are like people in the sense that they can be related to each other.  And like people, those associations can open doors or become a burden. I feel like this latter point if often missed when organizations consider rolling out a new product as a brand extension. I recently put together a strategy presentation for a client to explore this topic using Coors Brewing Company as my example. I thought it might be of interest to those considering extending their brand. Let me begin by explaining the concept of a brand extension.  It is essentially just adding another member of the...More

Brand Inception

By now, most of you have probably seen the hugely successful Christopher Nolan film Inception. It is a movie that explores that possibility that an idea can be planted in the mind of a person without them knowing it. From Hollywood’s standpoint, it is a science fiction twist on an old-fashioned heist film. However, from the standpoint of a marketing communications professional, it is something much closer to pornography. For decades these folks have sought to plant ideas in the minds of consumers. Albeit, less dramatically. While Inception is a work of fantasy, it seemed to me in watching the...More